Reading Comprehension Skills & Strategies

Talk to Yourself!When you read:

It’s important to talk to yourself silently in your head.

It’s important to monitor your own comprehension.

After every few paragraphs, ask yourself, “Did I understand what I read?”

o If the answer is yes, then keep reading.o If the answer is no, go back and read it

again.

Context CluesWhen you’re reading and you come across a word you don’t know:

Use the other words in a sentence to give you hints.

Try to put a word you do know in place of the word you don’t know and see if the sentence makes sense.

Ex. Why is your proboscis in the middle of your face? By using context clues, you can figure out that proboscis means nose.

Making InferencesTo make inferences: Ask yourself, “What do I already know that will

help me understand what I’m reading? Think about what you’ve learned through past

experiences. Think about what clues you’ve already learned

from the reading. Try to find additional clues by looking back over

the reading.

Interpreting Perspectives When you interpret someone else’s perspective:

Consider other points of view in order to make a conclusion.

Put yourself in “their shoes” to help you

“Walk a mile in my shoes.”

understand. Think about how that person would think or feel

about the situation.

Making PredictionsIn order to make an accurate and appropriate prediction: Use what you’ve learned from the reading to

help you figure out what may happen next. Listen out for “clues” provided by the author. Read chapter titles and look at any pictures to

help you.Visualizing

When you visualize as you read: Create images in your mind based on what you

read. Use the descriptive words to help you “make a

movie in your mind”. Think about each of the five senses to help you

form an image. Afterwards, share what you “see” in your mind

with others.

Figurative Language

To understand figurative language:

Ask yourself, “Does this make sense here, considering the usual meaning of the words?”

Use the other words in the sentence as “clues” to help you figure out what the author REALLY means.

Sequencing EventsWhen you retell events from a story:

Tell what happened in the correct order using complete sentences.

Include the main idea. Use sequencing words to make your story “flow”

(first, then, next, etc.).

Use specific character names so the listener can understand and follow the plot.

Include all necessary details and events that are crucial to the story.

Overall, your retell should be cohesive and concise. A person who is unfamiliar to the story should be able to understand the story based on your retell.

ParaphrasingTo paraphrase: Use your own words to express the meaning. Make information clearer and easier to

understand. Explain the meaning without plagiarizing the

original author. Use synonyms (words that have a similar or

same meaning) to replace the original words and change the word order or sentence structures to make it “your own”.

If the original content contains figurative language, you have to explain the intended meaning. You can’t use synonyms to replace those words.

Finally, restate what you paraphrased to make sure you have maintained the original meaning.

Making Connections

Text-to-Text

Connect what you are reading with what you’ve already read.Ask yourself: Does this remind me of another book I’ve read? Does this remind me of something the author

wrote earlier in the book? Is the author using a particular style or theme? Text-to-Self

Connect what you read to your own life.Ask yourself: Does this remind me of something? Has this ever happened to me? Do I know someone like him/her?

Am I like this character? Have I ever felt this way?

Text-to-World

Connect what you read to what you know about the world.Ask yourself: What do I already know that will help me

understand what I’m reading? How are events in the book similar to current

events that are going on in the world now?